SOINTULA: Visiting a FINNISH TOWN 🇫🇮 + Former Utopia on Malcolm Island, BC

Come join us as we visit Sointula, a former predominantly Finnish town and utopia on Malcolm Island, BC. The crossing from Port McNeill to Sointula was just 25 minutes, so an even shorter journey than the previous day’s trip to Alert Bay. You’ll want to check the BC Ferries schedule since sailings aren’t very frequent.

We kicked things off by stopping at Bere Point is because we had been told by fellow hikers that you can sometimes see orcas rubbing on the pebbly beach, so we sat on a log and waited with umbrellas in hand, but the orcas eluded us!

Our next stop on Malcolm Island was Pulteney Point Lighthouse over on the west end of the island. Built in 1943, this is both a lighthouse and a fog-alarm building that provides navigational aid to boats travelling between the Queen Charlotte Strait and Queen Charlotte Sound. The lighthouse isn’t open to visitors, however, we still enjoyed the beach walk to get there, so we’d recommend it for anyone looking for a short hike.

But now, let’s go back to the reason why we came all the way to Sointula: to learn about it’s Finnish past! The most logical place to start? the Sointula Museum.

Sointula’s history started when a group of Finnish settlers rowed up from Nanaimo, looking to escape the brutal working conditions in the coal mines and create a self-sustaining place of their own.

That’s how in 1901, the new utopia of Sointula, meaning place of harmony, was established on the island. Their guiding principles included ideas like communal ownership, decision making by consensus, equal pay for women, and a separate children’s home.

The commune began to grow and for a short time it appeared to have a bright future, but then, a series of unfortunate events brought things to a halt. After our museum visit, Sam couldn’t resist going into the co-op to see if they have some Finnish products in stock, namely his favourite salmiakki.

It was then time to get on the ferry and head back to Port McNeill. This was our last day on the north end of the island, but don’t worry we still have a few more Vancouver Island videos in store for you.

A special thank you to Trover for making this trip possible: https://www.trover.com/

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SOINTULA: Visiting a FINNISH TOWN 🇫🇮 + Former Utopia on Malcolm Island, BC

Come join us for an epic road trip to Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada where we partner with Trover to cover the island from the south all the way up to the north.

Our trip to Vancouver Island starts off with a flight from Toronto to Vancouver, followed by the shortest flight of our lives from Vancouver to Victoria. From Victoria, we head to our base of Mount Washington in the central part of the island, where highlights include spotting black bears, hiking in Mount Washington and visiting vineyards in Comox.

Our journey then continues to Gold River, Sam's hometown, where we board the Uchuck III en route to Friendly Cove. We also go to nearby Campbell River where we walk along a beautiful fishing dock, tour a hatchery and come across a black bear, and hike in Elk Falls which was our favourite hike on this entire journey.

Heading to northern Vancouver Island, we base ourselves in Port Alice and visit the nearby towns of Port McNeill, Port Hardy and Telegraph Cove. For separate day trips, we take the ferry to Malcolm Island where we visit the former Finnish Community of Sointula and take another ferry to Alert Bay where we have the opportunity to appreciate First Nations totem poles, artwork and museums.

Our Vancouver Island road trip concludes with visits to Parksville, Nanaimo and Victoria. Overall, it was one of the best road trips we've ever done focusing mostly on nature, outdoor adventure, wildlife spotting and visiting off-the-beaten-path villages and communities that have a lot to offer but aren't that well known.

If you are thinking of doing a Canada road trip, Vancouver Island should be at the top of your list. For more information and tips on all the places we visited on Vancouver Island, you can check out this Trover list: https://www.trover.com/l/6aKkU

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Видео SOINTULA: Visiting a FINNISH TOWN 🇫🇮 + Former Utopia on Malcolm Island, BC канала Samuel and Audrey - Travel and Food Videos